No Freedom in Riches
by Mel Barry
Summary: Sakura is a beautiful, young Japanese noblewoman being forced to marry the Emperor of Japan. Her hidden unwillingness indirectly leads to her kidnapping. When she finally begins her life anew, her noble heritage again threatens her happiness.
1. Kidnapped

IMPORTANT NOTE: I have revised the first chapter of this story. I reread my original first chapter and didn't like it. I thought Fujitaka was too mean and underdeveloped, and Sakura was too wild and uncharacteristically selfish, especially for a daughter who loved her father. So I rewrote this chapter. Everyone that has read the original of this chapter before needs to read this chapter again for it's drastically changed (I hope for the better). Enjoy!

**No Freedom in Riches**

Chapter One: Kidnapped

by: Mel Barry

e-mail: LightofFaeries at yahoo dot com (I had to write it this way as the document manager refuses to accept it in the normal way).

Disclaimer: Don't own CCS. CCS in owned by CLAMP. I'm tired of writing disclaimers for every one of my stories so this disclaimer applies to all chapters of this story.

Little Author's Note: This story in set in ancient China and ancient Japan (though I don't think there was an ancient Japan when China was ancient). I don't know that much about Chinese and Japanese history so everything in this story is fictional.

Fujitaka of Kinomoto held a cold, expressionless mask over his face, hiding well the anguish that roiled beneath the surface as his daughter's fates was torn from him.

"You have been greatly honored, Duke Fukjitaka of Kinomoto. Your daughter is to be wed to the Emperor of Japan himself, may he live forever. I have been sent to ascertain this arrangement between his excellency and you."

"I am...greatly overwhelmed," Fuijtaka said, sounding more grave than anything else. "May I ask how it is that the highly esteemed Emperor, may he live forever, noticed the daughter of this humble nobleman? She has never been presented at Court."

"It is true that she has never been presented at Court." Here, the negotiator shot an accusing glare at the Duke even as his voice remained perfectly calm and smooth. "But her beauty, intelligence, talent, and voice is famed all over Japan. There are few of notable worth who have not heard her name. There is not a nobleman who has been privileged to hear her that has remained unmoved by her speech and song. Her beauty and talents are...matchless." The negotiator paused, not sure whether or not to continue.

Fujitaka said nothing, his love of his daughter fighting to break lose, fighting to shout a dangerous refusal at the top of his lungs. This negotiator portrayed a suitor Fujitaka could not easily refuse without the portent of death.

The negotiator finally broke the silence. "Consider prudently," he said, as if Fujitaka had a choice but both of them knowing there was none. The negotiator bowed and departed.

No choice, no choice. Refusal was simply not an option.

Yet the days passed and the offer waited for an answer that was already assumed but not yet given.

Yet Fujitaka stalled, coming up with every conceivable excuse without being too blatantly obvious. He whittled away time, refusal ever present upon his tongue, barely repressed.

It was the comment of a close friend that caved him.

"Would she not have wanted this? Her daughter married where safety lies?" She, being Nadeshiko, Fujitaka's long deceased and longer loved wife. After her death, he had taken no other. When Fujitaka began to wonder himself if Nadeshiko would have desired this union, he knew it was no use.

He gave his consent.

In exchange for very costly gifts from the Emperor to plaster all across Japan, just how precious his daughter was.

Sakura was utterly still for an instant, her brush perfectly poised. Then she moved again as if nothing had gone wrong, to leave a brilliant stroke of color across the silk sheet before her. Her father's softly spoken words echoed in her ears but she gave no outward appearance of unease.

When she gave him so answer but for the graceful, sure, movement of her brush, her father spoke again, hesitation in no where but the edges of his voice. "Sakura? If such an arrangement...displeases you, I may yet refuse it."

She knew, from the shadows in his face, his voice, that he had already tried.

She gathered her voice and forced it to be steady. "Marriage to the Emperor is...a great honor. I would not refuse such an honor." She left much unsaid.

They stood silently as Sakura worked her brush gracefully and quietly. Fujitaka watched his beloved daughter, wondering why their time together had come to a close so quickly. She was barely fourteen and he could not think of her as a woman yet. Just his daughter, his only daughter and he hoarded their time together more jealously than a dragon with cavern of gold.

Finally, the tiny sounds of brushwork stopped. "I am much tired, Father," Sakura said, laying down her brush. "I would retire now."

Fujitaka nodded. When Sakura had left the room, he walked slowly over to the silk she had been painting on.

He looked solemnly down at bird, caught within the confines of a brightly jeweled, beautiful, golden, cage.

Sakura couldn't sleep. She felt too warm and suffocated. There was a sudden longing for an escape into the woods that had always comforted her. She rose silently, as not to wake servants, with practiced ease. She padded soundlessly to a half-covered chest that had been an object of consternation for many a house servant that came to inspect her room. The worn, common wood had no place in the finery that was her room and there had been attempts to get rid of and replace it with one that better suited her station. Sakura had stubbornly refused all such offers and allowed no one but her father, brother, and herself to touch it. Now she knelt beside the ancient chest and placed her fingers in certain places and pressed gently. The chest lid sprang open without a sound. There was only filtered moonlight through her curtains to see by, but she knew the contents of the chest by heart.

Reaching in, she pulled out something long and very thin, brought it over her head, and placed it about her neck. Then she reached in once more and pulled from the chest a lump that had the shape of folded clothing. She replaced silk nightgown and silk stockings with a tattered, coarse and homespun dress. Folding her nightgown neatly, she placed it into the chest, the stockings on top.

She closed the chest lid carefully and before long, was out beneath the silver moon, running barefooted and bareheaded into the woods. Though it was the middle of night, she half-expected to hear the screeching voices of her various caretakers saying "Lady Sakura! This is unseemly!"

As a child, she had been allowed to run free ever since she could remember. But highborn relatives had looked down with distaste at her errant behaviors that bespoke of ill training. They had admonished Fujitaka for his lack of care toward his daughter. Fujitaka was forced to make Sakura behave as a proper lady. And behaving as a proper lady robbed Sakura the only freedom she had ever sought. Sakura had long decided that if a lady could not roam through the wild woods surrounding her home, she did not want to be a lady at all. But for her father's sake, she put up with the lessons and the fussing. Her father seemed to understand her sacrifice for he turned a blind-eyes whenever she needed to flee to her woods.

As she entered the clam coolness of the woods, she breathed a sigh she had not been aware of holding. The silvery moon cast a glow to the wood that changed it into something softer and more dream-like for which Sakura was grateful. She wandered among the trees at the outskirts of the wood for, though she knew the woods enough to be able to find her way through even the densest foliage, if she got too caught up in the magic and beauty of the wood, she would never make it back home before dawn.

The moon and night made her carefree and perhaps she should not have been for it also made her careless.

The serenity of the wood was abruptly shattered.

Something was stuffed into her mouth and there was a rough feel of cloth as it slid past her. Then she was hoisted side ways up onto something. Sakura tried to struggle but found her movements confined to squirming because of the sack that surrounded her. More angered then frightened—how dare someone interrupt her within her woods—Sakura struggled until she was exhausted, slightly satisfied by the cursing from whomever had her.

Author's Notes: Did you guys like this revised chapter one? I must say I like it much better than the original. Sakura seemed a bit too wimpy in the original. I like her much better in this one (and this chapter is longer than the original ) and I think Fujitaka was better explained. Well, what do you think?

BTW, I have my own webpage now that is currently only for my fanfics (but I hope to expand the website slowly to include other things like character bios and stuff). I know I said that I would have mailing list, but I was gone for so long that I lost track of all the people on the list (gomen minna!). If you want to be put (or re-put) on the mailing list, you can sign my guestbook on my website and tell me (which is the best way 'cause then I won't lose track) or you can tell me in your review on My stories may be updated sooner on my website then my account on

I've got the second chapter all finished, but now that I re-read it, I don't like it so I'm going to be doing some editing.

Until then,

Mel

September 18, 2004


	2. Slavery

IMPORTANT NOTE: the first chapter of this story was extremely re-written, so please reread that chapter before this one.

No Freedom in Riches

Chapter Two - Slavery

by: Mel Barry

E-mail: LightofFaeries (at) yahoo (dot) com

Little Author's Note: This story is set in ancient "China" and ancient "Japan." I put the names in quotation marks because I know just about nothing on Chinese and Japanese history so (obviously) the things I mention about "China" and "Japan" are mostly made up by me and should not be mixed up with real Chinese and Japanese history (basically: don't fry me on how historically inaccurate this story since I already know it).

Sakura was awaken by sudden jolt that rolled her onto her face. She groaned softly, trying to find a more comfortable position as the coarse fabric of the sack scratched irritatingly at her skin.

Suddenly, she was bodily hoisted up and gave a small yelp. At her sound, another voice called, as coarse as the sack in which she lay in. " 'is one's 'wake!" And carried her a little ways before dumping her roughly down.

Sakura struggled to a sitting position within the confines of her cloth prison, fighting cold despair as it tried to fill her heart. How did this happen? How could she have been stupid enough to get kidnapped? In her own woods nonetheless? Her kidnappers were sure to use her as a tool against her father and he hardly needed any more trouble with the problems that he already had. Tears threatened, surprising Sakura. She scrubbed vigorously at her face, angered at her own cowardliness and desperate to keep all signs of turmoil hidden. All is not lost, she thought fervently to herself, there was a chance she could fool them into thinking they had the wrong person. With this resolution, Sakura felt slightly better.

A voice broke into her thoughts. "Let's have a look the girls you brought in this time. Let's hope they will have more value than the sorry lot you brought in last time."

Sakura's eyes widened. There were other girls beside herself. They didn't know who she was. And they weren't going to find out, she thought grimly to herself. She was grateful for the peasant clothes she wore and the outings into the villages surrounding her home which allowed her to learn the peasant accents. She knew she could pass off as a peasant with the night's help. She scrunched her face, wrinkling her nose and forehead, and stuck out her upper lip. Sakura felt a perverse kind of happiness; at home, she would never have been allowed to use such an expression. She almost felt like giggling. Almost.

She released her facial muscles only to tighten them again when she heard voices and the crunch of boots stop next to where she sat. She also hunched a little. Hands made her stand and found the opening to her sack. As the sack fell away, Sakura found herself in some kind of cave lighted by a few candles. Two men stood before her. One was holding a candle and Sakura only half-pretended to squint into it. She could clearly see that he was portly with a stomach that overshadowed his feet while the other was tall with an eye-patch and two missing teeth. Sakura thought them thoroughly revolting.

"Yah!" the tall man shouted, staring at Sakura's pale, twisted face made even worse by the shadows of the candle. She grinned crookedly, hoping to add to the grotesque appearance. "What a monster! I 'ay we throw her back where she came from." Sakura's heart bubbled with hope.

Only to burst at the next moment.

The portly man shook his head. "Nah, can't do that, not when she's been brought 'ere. Anyways, how's we to know if she can't be useful? She mightn't look so pretty, but mayhap she's awfully useful and we'll be able get some money out of selling her."

The men talked as if she wasn't there, or didn't have a conscious thought, and Sakura had to fight the urge to sock him, struggling to keep the dumb look upon her face. Then the implications of what he said settled over her and she froze. Where they slave-dealers? Revulsion foamed and frothed within Sakura. Though slavery was not accepted in Japan, it was also generally overlooked. The Kinomoto family despised it and Sakura had often taken for granted the non-existence of slavery around her. Now at the thought of herself in slavery, she couldn't help the fear that undulated through her, thick and fast.

The tall man squinted at her with his remaining eye. "She dun look so bad once ye get past the first time. But look 'em eyes. 's unnatural."

Sakura blinked, taken aback. Her eyes' were unnatural just because they were green? She knew the color was rare, but to call them unnatural stung for some reason. Her father had often told her that he liked her eyes.

"Well girl, speak up," the portly man demanded, seeming suddenly to deem her as something more than an object. "Who're you?"

There was silence. Sakura's mind raced as she thought of what to say. And then she said with an intentional rush, opting for as much truth as possible, "I'm Sakura!"

Portly raised an eyebrow. "Sakura of what?"

Sakura tipped her head to the side, a crazy smiled plastered across her face. "Just Sakura. My mam says I shun never say where I came from if I ever left home; she says it'n embeerassing."

"No wonder," Tall muttered.

Portly ignored him. "What can you do?"

Sakura paused for a moment, pretending to think. "Reading...reading and I cun write some. And sing; I like to sing."

Portly stroked his chin. "Interesting. You do have a pretty voice—" Sakura simpered "—and many people like to have people who can read and write for 'em."

Portly turned abruptly to his companion. "She'll have to do. Prince is 'pecting as many girls as we can get without calling too much attention."

As the men turned, bearing the candle away, Sakura relaxed her face with a silent and heartfelt sigh. She rubbed her cheeks, trying to make them feel normal again, then knelt on the floor. She was relieved at the feel of dust and dirt beneath her fingertips as she touched the cave floor; it was not stone. The paleness of her skin would raise questions even if she altered her face. This time, poor lighting had hidden her, but next time, she might not be so lucky. Digging at the dirt ground, Sakura used the brown substance to smudge her face and body. When she finished, she scooped handfuls of dirt into the pockets of her peasant dress, pockets she herself had sewn to carry the various tokens the villagers gave her for her help or treasures she found in the woods. She had always found having multiple pockets convenient; now she was thoroughly grateful for them. If her strange makeup wore away, she would have backup.

Having done everything she could, Sakura settled down to observe and wait for a chance to escape.

Author's Note: Hello minna! This chapter came out later than I had anticipated. Well, actually, after rereading the original of the first chapter, I didn't like it, so I rewrote that and then rewrote this chapter too. So I was working on this story for quite some time. This chapter was originally much longer, but rewriting to the same length may take a lot more days because of school and I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. Also, I have my own webpage now that is currently only for my fanfics (but I hope to expand the website slowly to include other things like character bios and stuff). I know I said that I would have mailing list, but I was gone for so long that I lost track of all the people on the list (gomen minna!). If you want to be put (or re-put) on the mailing list, you can sign my guestbook on my website and tell me (which is the best way 'cause then I won't lose track) or you can tell me in your review on or by e-mailing me (my e-mail is LightofFaeries at yahoo dot com (I had to write the address fully out like that because document manager refuses to accept it the normal way for some odd reason). My stories may be updated sooner on my website then my account here.

Anyway, please tell me what you think of this story!

Thanks you to all who have reviewed!

Mel

September 27, 2004


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